Wine me and dine me. That’s all that I want okay? No, but really I am a definite foodie at heart and I love a good cocktail as well. London has some amazing restaurants and there are SO many to choose from. I recently spent a weekend in Mayfair eating and drinking to my heart’s delight at some incredible bars and restaurants so you whether you are looking for the best restaurants in Mayfair or the best bars in Mayfair, don’t worry. I got you covered!
First up if you are looking for delicious food in a swanky environment, it’s definitely worth checking out Ruya which is right next to the Grosvenor House London. It’s modern Turkish food with a twist, inspired by Anatolian gastronomy. The restaurant is beautiful with gorgeous interiors and the bathroom is notably nice for that bathroom selfie moment (something I have to mention, of course). I actually was lucky enough to get to dine previously at the Ruya at the D-Maris hotel in Turkey which was fabulous and I’m happy to say that the London location also didn’t disappoint.
I went to Ruya for their brunch which runs on the weekend and first off started off with the Aged Kaşar Cheese Pide with goats cheese, baby spinach, cherry tomatoes. If you do come to Ruya, I would recommend getting the pide, which is like a Turkish pizza. There’s also a huge wood-fire oven where all the breads are made so you know what you are getting is freshly baked.
I like meals where you can share with other people and also pick at a lot of different types of foods, tapas-style. Ruya is like that so I suggest ordering a few dishes to share and so you can try more food! Some of my favourites were the spicy calamari starter and if you like salads there are some really good ones including a halloumi and cucumber salad as well as a kale and feta salad so you can definitely get some greens in there too.
Something you must try and that I’m almost 100% you haven’t tried (unless you are Turkish) is the Künefe. It’s a baked kadayif pastry that has melted Majdule cheese that oozes out when you cut into it and it’s topped with rose & orange blossom syrup and pistachio ice cream. To have pasty, cheese, syrup and ice cream all together sounds like a mish-mash but it’s really unique and quite delicious with the tangy cheese rounding out the sweetness of the syrup.
And if you are exploring Mayfair even further then it’s also worth it to stop in Mnky Hse which is a swanky Latin American lounge, restaurant and bar on Dover Street. I love Mexican food and the margaritas at Mkny House are divine with lots of choices (including a strawberry margarita that will knock your socks off with Don Julio Blanco, agave syrup, strawberry juice and jalapeños). It’s a perfect place for drinks after dark with cocktails, inventive tacos (think tuna tartare with truffle ponzu, wasabi tobiko and avocado or beef fillet with foie gras and miso). I would recommend getting a variety of tacos to taste you can experience all the flavours yourself.
And if you want some good, old-fashioned and non-pretentious fun then I would definitely recommend the Hard Rock Café on Old Park Lane – the original one that opened in 1971– is literally right around the corner. There’s a museum downstairs called The Vault which has lots of music memorabilia from around the world so definitely worth checking out if you visit.
I headed there with Mona from Mona’s Eyes for food and cocktails and I have to say on a weekend night the place was buzzing. There’s music that you can’t help sing along to and it is just good, old-fashioned FUN. Mona and I shared prawn fajitas, sampled the cocktails and had a great time.
So if you like music, some deliciously naughty food (think loaded nachos, Tex-Mex, burgers) and great cocktails, it’s a really fun place to go for the night. And might I add that if you get a cocktail you actually get to choose a glass from the souvenir shop to take home. Everyone’s a winner.
So now you know the best restaurants to eat in Mayfair and the best bars in Mayfair for a great cocktail so what are you waiting for? Call your bestie and get a girl’s night in – life’s too short, after all.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @beautyrocksblog for all my latest adventures!